Shipping container



Patented Oct. 18, 1949 SHIPPING CONTAINER Raymond H. Van Saun, Richmond,CaliL, as-

signor to California Container Corporation, Oakland, Calif., acorporation of Delaware Application November 22, 1948, Serial No. 61,439

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a paperboard container, and moreparticularly to a container of the type commonly used for the packingand shipment of various commodities and products, although the inventionis not limited to shipping containers. Containers according to thisinvention are formed of three parts, provided with means for sostrengthening the essential portions of the containers that relativelylight material may be used throughout. The end and top edgesparticularly of the containers are reinforced. The common practice inthe art is to employ material heavy enough to give the required strengthwith conventional construction, resulting in waste of material andincreased expense because some portions of the container must then beheavier and stronger than necessary.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a paperboardcontainer which is so reinforced at essential portions that it may bemade of relatively light material without sacrifice of strength. Anotherobject is the provision of a paperboard container so reinforced as torequire use of less material than would otherwise be needed to givecomparable strength. A further object of the invention is the provisionof a paperboard container in which the principle of the angle member isutilized to increase strength while conserving material. Still anotherobject is to provide a container with hand holes so reinforced as tosubstantially eliminate material failures at these troublesome weakpoints. A still further object is the provision of a container with topflaps, in which means are provided for frictionally retaining the flapsin closing position. It is also an object of the invention to provide apaperboard container made of a plurality of parts which may be readilyassembled and in which the reinforcement of desired portions may beaccomplished simultaneously with the assembling. An additional object isthe provision of a group of blanks which may be readily set up andsecured together to form a paperboard container realizing the objectsstated above.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from the following descriptionand the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container representing one embodimentof this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 1, withparts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a blank for one part of the container of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a plan of a blank for another part of the container of Fig. 1.

The invention is illustrated and described as embodied in a containerl0, Fig. 1, which is made of three partsa main body part formed from theblank I i of Fi 3, and two end parts each formed from a blank l2, shownin Fig. 4. The body part comprises a bottom IS, a pair of side walls l4extending from opposed edges of the bottom, and a pair of top flaps l5,one extending along the upper edge of each side wall l4, or in otherwords the edge opposite that connected to the bottom. Bottom end flapsI6 extend from the end edges of the bottom I 3, and side end flaps Hfrom the ends of the side walls M, while end portions or flaps G8 arehinged on the ends of the top flaps i5. Each end part comprises an endwall 69 with side flaps 20 hinged on opposite side edges thereof. Alongthe top edge of the end wall, and preferably also along the top edges ofthe side flaps 20, there extends a reinforcing flap 2! which in theformation of the container is folded down to strengthen the upperportion of the end wall. The free edge of the flap 2! has a portion cutout to povide an indentation 22 therein so that the flap 2! maypartially surround a hand hole 23 formed in the end wall l9. The hole isprovided by partially cutting a hand hole flap 24 from the endwall. Theflap 24 is left connected to the wall along the top edge of the handhole 23, and is folded upwardly to extend between the end wall l9 andthe reinforcing flap 2l.- As clearly evident from Fig. 2,

a triple thickness of material is provided by this construction abovethe hand hole, where the greatest-strains are imposed in lifting of thecontainer. In addition, the flap 2i reinforces the end wallnot onlyabove the hand hole but below the top edge thereof adjacent the ends ofthe hole, by reason of the indentation 22, as clearly shown in Figs. 1and 2. The end' wall is most apt to tear at the upper corner portions ofthe hand hole, where the greatest strains occur in lifting thecontainer. Because it extends. below the top edge of the hole 23 and isthere secured to the end wall 19, the reinforcing flap 2| relieves thesestresses, distributing them over a relatively large zone about the handhole. The risk of failure of the material adjacent the hole 23 is thuspractically eliminated.

In making the container, a pair of the blanks I2 is prepared by foldingeach so that the flap 24 lies between the end wall l9 and the flap 2|,the

parts being secured as by the staples 25, and the connections of theside flaps 20 with the end wall are broken." The blank I l is folded onthe lines of connection between the several panels so that the sidewalls II and top flaps l5 are perpendicular from each other.

to the bottom l3 and the various end flaps II, II, and I8 are at rightangles to the panels from which they extend. The flaps l8 and I! at oneend are 7 end of the container is similarly assembled and.

secured. It will of course be understood that the parts are properlydimensioned for a good snug fit. The securement of the end wall parts toeach other may be made at the time the end walls and end flaps aresecured together. If desired, of course, the construction may bereversed, with the flaps 20 on the outside of the container and theflaps l1 inside, with the flaps l8 either out or in. Securing meansother than the staples 25 may be employed.

The container l may now be filled and the top flaps l swung down overthe top. The flaps l5 are of substantially the same length as the sidewalls It, and while shown as of less than half the width of the endwalls, may be of such width as to meet or overlap, if desired. In theembodiment illustrated, the flaps are narrow to provide for desiredventilation of the intended contents. The flaps l5 when folded down overthe top of the container serve of course as means to retain the contentstherein, but they also provide ledges which facilitate stacking of thecontainers one upon another. In addition, the top fiapsstifien the topedges of the side walls and add strength to the container top on theprinciple of'theangle member, and hold the container against spreadinglongitudinally, when their end portions 88 are disposed as explainedhereinafter.

It will be noted from Figspl and 2 that the uppermost staple 25 securingeach side wall and flap H to the adjacent end wall i9 is spaced from thetops of the end flap and end wall to leave appreciable unsecured areasbetween these parts at the upper corners of the end wall. Theseunsecured areas serve as pockets for receiving in frictional engagementtherein the end portions 98 of the top flaps i5 when the latter areswung down over the top of the container 10. Since the flaps I7 lieclosely against the walls H, the pockets must be somewhat greater inextent than the end portions IE to facilitate insertion andaccommodation thereof, as is obvious. Otherwise, however, whetherstaples or other securing means are employed, the zones of securementextend as closely as practicable towards the tops of the end walls andend flaps, so that the unsecured portions will be held against eachother as tightly as possible. This provides for the most secureretention possible of the end portions la in the pockets, andconsequently of the top flaps IS in their positions bridging the top ofthe container and holding the end'walls against movement away Theconstruction of the ends of the container provides, in effect, a strongframe around each end wall I9, the flaps l6, l1, and 2| providinga'double thickness of material at the edges with a triple thickness at thecorners. The side flaps 20 give a double thickness at the ends of theside walls I4 and abut the end wall reinforcements at right angles tobuttress the container ends. Here again the angle member principle addsstrength while saving material. Besides strengthening the end wallsagainst shocks, the arrangement of the flaps l1 and gives the containergreat stacking strength, and also resists weaving. The strengtheningeffect of the top flaps has'already been pointed out, as well as theadvantage of the hand hole reinforcement. The increased containerstrength resulting from this invention permits use of lighter, cheapermaterial than otherwise necessary for containers of a given strength, oralternatively gives increased strength to containers of a givenmaterial.

Of course, the container of this invention is not suitable to allproducts, for example those whose packing would be interfered with bythe flaps inside the container. It does have a very wide field of use,however, and in this field is highly advantageous, as explained above.

It will be clear that many changes and modifications may be made in thedisclosed embodiment without departing from the principles of theinvention, and it is, therefore, not intended that the invention belimited otherwise than required by the spirit and scope of the appendedclaim.

What is claimed is:

A substantially open topped paperboard container comprising a bottom,two pairs of opposed side walls, a pair of narrow top flaps eachextending the length of and hinged on one side wall of a first pair ofopposed side walls and being swingable to close the top of saidcontainer along two edges thereof only, leaving the major portion open,,end flap portions on said top flaps of substantially the same width assaid top flaps and extending from said top flaps, said end flap portionsbeing foldable to extend substantially perpendiculanthereto, a narrowreinforcing strip of material overlying and secured to each verticalmarginal portion of the second pair of opposed side walls adjacent saidfirst pair of side walls, each said reinforcing strip being unsecuredadjacent the top of said second pair of side walls over an area onlyslightly greater than the top flap end portion adjacent thereto toprovide a pocket for frictional reception of said end portion uponmovement of the top flap to said partial closing position for holdingsaid top flap in said position, the top flaps including the end flapportions being of approximately the same width as the marginalreinforcing strips whereby each end portion is adapted to besubstantially housed within its respective pocket.

RAYMOND 'H. VAN SAUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recorddn the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

